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Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Grilled Chocolate Sandwich

During a visit to Germany in 1986 I tasted Nutella for the first time. Like a number of foods I discovered during my years of Air Force assignments and related travel, Nutella was not well-known in USA at the time. It almost goes without saying; I liked it, especially on sourdough bread. Some acquaintances found my fondness for bread and chocolate strange, even when I reminded them that Americans ate plenty of chocolate covered donuts (maybe multi-colored sprinkles won them over). During my eight years living overseas I continued to indulge in Nutella but the best chocolate and bread combo I ever ate was found at a Belgian patisserie near my home; the baker slathered chocolate between croissant halves. I admit to indulging myself often during my three years there.

A few years after returning to the states, I read about Grilled Chocolate Sandwiches in a cookbook by one of my favorite contributors to The Washington Post Food section, food scientist, Robert Wolke (unfortunately he no longer writes for them). He introduced me to a short, easy recipe which combines the flavors, if not the texture, of those chocolate croissants I still miss.

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Grilled Chocolate Sandwich

Adapted from What Einstein Told His Cook 2: The Sequel Further Adventures in Kitchen Science by Robert Wolke
Serves 1, but can be multiplied

salted butter
two slices good bread
a handful of chocolate chips or 1-2 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate or milk chocolate, if you prefer

Heat a nonstick or cast iron skillet or griddle over medium heat. Melt a pat of butter and place one slice of bread in the pan, moving the bread around to absorb the butter. Arrange the chocolate chips on the bread covering the slice well. Top the chocolate with the second slice of bread; let cook until the chocolate is beginning to melt and the bottom slice starts to brown. Be careful with the heat--you know your own stove top and may need to lower the heat so you don't burn the bread before the chocolate melts. When the bottom slice is golden brown, carefully flip the sandwich using a spatula. This is easiest if you use both hands; flip the uncooked side on to your non-dominant hand moving rather slowly in case there is still unmelted chocolate which might fall out. Once the flip is completed, melt another pat of butter and place the sandwich back in the pan, uncooked slice down. Tuck in any chocolate chips that may have fallen. Continue cooking until the second piece of bread is browned as well and the chocolate is melted.

Remove to a cutting board and slice; wait a minute or two and enjoy.

Note:

This sandwich is best when you combine quality ingredients. I like the flavors of sourdough bread but it isn't necessary. Just try for something with some heft and good flavor. I've seen photos of these using baguettes, but I think the chocolate would melt out of any holes. I use Callebaut chocolate chips with a higher percentage of chocolate. These chips are not American so they have less wax in them (they don't hold together well in a cookie) and they melt beautifully. If you can't find this brand, you might try those at Trader Joe's since that store imports some chocolate items from Belgium. I've not tried the chocolate chips so I can't vouch for them. The chocolate bars they sell (Pound Plus) are good, though.